Pressure Points and Lethal Techniques in MMA?

Trust me, pressure points is the last thing you'll be thinking about in a MMA match! You need to be focused on the strategy that was coached in training and listen to your corner. The only pressure points you need to look for are open shots to the jaw.

From the top, continue downward pressure and keep the punishment coming. From the bottom, survival is key; instincts are a must here. You must use the training and get out.

MMA isn't about looking for tricks to outdo your opponent; it's about imposing your will and strategy over someone. It's as much mental as it is physical; but you'd better be in shape. The better conditioned fighter almost always wins. This is also very true in amateur MMA.

You should concentrate on fundamentals and not count on executing low-percentage pressure point techniques that you probably haven't trained against a resisting opponent. I would add that optimal MMA technique includes inflicting pain on your opponent every chance you get -- i.e., digging your knee into your opponent's belly when you are in that position, raining elbows (or just grinding your elbow into your opponent's face) when you are in mount or top guard, landing knees and elbows from top side control, etc.

Of course, basic MMA strategy does include targeting strikes to inflict particular kinds of damage on your opponent (e.g., using leg kicks and body shots to reduce your opponent's mobility and power, or aiming power shots at the chin or jaw).

The key is that you should start by training correct strategy and technique and then think about how you can inflict maximum pain on your opponent in that context. You can't look at pressure point techniques as a short-cut to MMA success that eliminates the need for hard conventional MMA training.